Coronavirus Invincibility Masks?

What a difference a week makes.

A week ago, the CDC said the general public should not wear masks unless they were sick or caring for someone who had the coronavirus. Wearing a mask didn't prevent you from catching the coronavirus, but if you had it, wearing a mask would help you from spreading it to others. The danger of always wearing a mask  was that taking a mask on and off meant that you were touching your face, thereby increasing your chance of becoming infected.

Fast forward one week, now the CDC says people should wear a mask because it is helpful to prevent community transmission of covid-19. The CDC Director Robert Redfield said up to one in four people infected with the virus could be asymptomatic. In other words, you can have no symptoms but still be spreading the disease. Even a cut up t-shirt would be better than nothing. 

During my grocery store run a week ago, few people wore mask. No plastic shields separated checkers  from the customers and while they wore gloves, they did not wear masks. Everyone was very good about giving each other space. The store had fewer customers and they seemed calmer than the previous week when the stay-at-home order was instituted. It seemed that the initial panic had subsided.

Fast forward to yesterday. The majority of people at Ralphs wore masks. Plastic barriers were in place for the masked checkers. There were a lot more people in the grocery store and a I saw the fear creeping back into some people's eyes. But my biggest concern was the social/physical distance gap between people had
decreased. 

In the milk aisle I suddenly found myself ambushed by masked bandits. Four shopping carts driven by six people in masks surrounded me. I said an expletive, left my cart where it was, and waited a safe distance away until the group of strangers broke up. The ambush repeated itself in the bread aisle. 

Even our modern day superheroes, the grocery checker, she leaned forward to ask me a question even though I was not behind her plastic barrier because I was bagging my groceries.

Even scarier were the increased number of individuals in their 70s and 80s shopping in the store since the crisis began. They were wearing masks. Perhaps the masks gave them the confidence to go shopping, but remember a non-medical mask only helps you from spreading it, not getting it.

When I mentioned this to my mother as I dropped off her groceries, she said she had heard that that was the CDC's big worry when they recommended that people should wear masks. People might feel safer with masks and would violate the social distancing and stay-at-home rules.

Everyone, please remember these three rules: 1, stay-at-home unless you have to go out; 2, keep practicing social and physical distancing; and 3, a mask does not make you invincible to the coronavirus so remember rules 1 and 2 . Until this week, the CDC was saying that wearing a mask was more dangerous than not wearing one.

Be safe and be healthy.

Posts: Monday, Thursday, Saturday

Coronavirus Xbox To The Rescue

"…school campuses will remain physically closed for the remainder of the year."

That one sentence from my son's school yesterday brought a wide range of conflicting emotions to my household.

Parents: dread, fear, stress

Kids: hope, freedom, loneliness

The first sign of how the coronavirus adversely affected my son was when he, unbeknownst to his parents, invited his friend over to play Xbox. His friend said his father wasn't letting him go anywhere.

These last three weeks with the whole family at home have been good. And I wondered, why have there been fewer arguments, less stress, than when the four of us have been home together in the past. 

One word comes to mind: Homework

The second is: Xbox

I knew homework was a source of stress in our lives, but never truly appreciated how good life could be without it.  Now not only will parents have to help kids manage their homework, but also manage their classwork. The question is no longer are you smarter than a fifth-grader, it is are you smarter than a tenth-grade math teacher?

  

Initially, my son's face lit up when he heard he no longer had to go to school. I knew he was thinking more Xbox time and his new game was coming out April 2. Then I reminded him about the one online course he took last semester and how tough it was for him to self motivate himself to complete the assignments on time. The smile disappeared. 

Fortunately, my oldest son is already out of high school, so we only have to help my youngest son complete his work. Hopefully my oldest son will jump in and help as well.

But it is my oldest son that is missing school the most. By June, he was set to finish the two trade schools he was enrolled in,  pursue his career, and move on with his life. Unfortunately, both schools are closed. They require a certain number of hands-on training hours to complete the programs. If the schools open May 5 as scheduled, he could finish by August. But there's a very real chance that they may not reopen until the Fall. He told me a week ago, "Dad, I really miss school." Those were words that I had never heard him say.

He has applied for grocery store jobs but with no luck. Since we claim him as a dependent he cannot receive the stimulus check even though he worked last year and paid taxes.

The best thing for both of my sons has been the Xbox. Not only as a break from reality, but as a social tool. I hear both boys talking, laughing, and arguing with their buddies and each other as they play together online.  I hear them talk about school, dating, and politics.

The best decision I made at Christmas was to buy a second Xbox to prevent sharing conflicts.

Microsoft's new marketing angle should be: "Beat self-isolation - connect with Xbox! Prevent conflicts, buy one for each family member."

However, the Xbox can't hide the fact that homework is coming, 6.6 million people went on unemployment last week, and schools are closed.

As parents we just have to continue doing what we have been doing all along, prepare, help, and educate. Plus, it wouldn't hurt if we got some Xbox play time in their along with their kids.

Take care everyone.

Posts: Monday, Thursday, Saturday

Coronavirus: A Deserted Hollywood?

No Spiderman. No Batman. Not even Jack Sparrow stood on the corner of Hollywood and Highland.

Hollywood Boulevard was practically a ghost town. I say practically because the Goldman was there talking to a homeless man sitting on the curb and a man playing the guitar stood in front of the Chinese Theater.

I drove the length of the famous Boulevard with its theaters, hotels, souvenir stores, and fast food joints in only 5 minutes. Almost every business was shuttered.

Emptiness. I saw no more than a dozen people along the street, not counting the half dozen homeless not in their tents.

I was saddened for the shuttered businesses, but I was happy to see that Angelenos were taking the virus seriously abiding by the stay-at-home orders.

From here I drove up to Lake Hollywood Park to grab a picture of the Hollywood sign for today's blog. I saw cars parked along the road. I saw yellow tape closing off the park. I saw a city electric sign telling people to maintain a safe distance.

I saw four people here: one young woman leaving her car with a dog, a young couple walking to an overlook, and one guy dressed in neoprene pants and long sleeve neoprene shirt and what looked like num-chuks in his hand speed walking up the hill.

I didn't know where the rest of the people from the cars had gone. I took my photo of the sign and as I returned to my car, the woman with the dog asked me - invading my 6 foot personal space, "Is it closed?"

"Is what closed?" I asked leaning way back.

"The hiking trail."

"I have no idea."

She gave me a quizzical look, then proceeded walking up the hill, then disappeared down a trail that I had not seen. Now I knew where the people from the cars had gone.

It turns out Hollywood's attractions weren't completely deserted.

I didn't linger. I got in my car and headed home

Take care everyone - and please remember the 6-foot rule.

Blog posts: Monday, Thursday, and Saturday.

Coronavirus: A Time of Reflection and Growth

"What will you accomplish once this crisis is over?"

A Barrys' fitness instructor, a meditation expert, and a voice over coach each ended their online live stream sessions with a similar question.

Now that most of us are restricted to our households for work and play, this is an excellent time to reflect upon what you want to accomplish and how you will get there mentally, physically, and spiritually.

When I heard the question the first time, I realized what an opportunity this was to plan my future. That question also expanded my mind from looking at the here and now - looking at the walls of my house, planning food runs, and staring at my cellphone - to envisioning what exciting things the future held.

My first thought was seeing my friends on a sunny set and securing my first SAG voucher.

The meditation expert's next question was, "What is your ultimate goal?"

My thoughts morphed into getting a speaking part. Then it was to be a regular on a show, finally ending with an Oscar in hand. Not the one I held at the Warner Brothers Museum a month ago, but my very own.

She followed up with, "How will you feel once you obtain your ultimate goal? Feel that right now and walk through your day with that feeling."

That was truly an amazing feeling. When you have a goal, then you can make a plan. When you have a plan, then you can move forward, out of the mental confines of your living room.

What will you do once the coronavirus crisis ends? What do you want to make happen? What will you accomplish?

Start preparing today.

Take care and be safe.

Post schedule: Monday, Thursday, Saturday

Connecting Socially During Coronavirus

"I will go with you, Dad," said my teenage son.

You know your teenagers have cabin fever when they volunteer to go to the grocery store with you.

Having to work from home, and the kids having to be at home, have really brought us together. There is more cooking together, watching TV together and being forced to talk to each other more.

But what about those who live alone my single friend pointed out. How do we get that person-to-person interaction that we all so desperately need. Humans are social animals after all.

I have been speaking to more family members and friends by phone, text, and on social media since the coronavirus hit.   We even downloaded one of our favorite board games, Ticket To Ride, to play online with family members across the US. I have been taking livestream exercise classes and seminars. Backstage, an actor's job listing website, has been great at live-streaming educational content for actors of all types.

But it those interactions are not the same as in-person interactions.

My friend and another single family member had volunteered to go to work in their offices with skeleton crews rather than work from home to meet their social needs. Last Friday their offices were shut as it was not essential for them to be in the office.

I suddenly understood why "young" people were flooding the beaches and hiking trails and still mingling as the media frowned upon them. Many of these people don't have roommates or family members living with them for in-person social interactions.

A senior called in to NPR today to ask the guest doctor, "If there are three seniors who are friends and each has been isolated from other people for 14 days and showed no signs of being sick, can we get together and socialize?"

He said it is up to each of you to balance the risk and reward of that interaction.

Not an easy decision. I am sure it was not the answer she was hoping for.

With these thoughts in mind, I had a long conversation my mother about how I could bring her groceries and visit with her. She had self-isolated herself since the 11th because her age put her in the high risk category of a complication if she caught the coronavirus. We laid out a plan to minimize our contact.

My son and I left her groceries on the doorstep and then retreated to her driveway. We then proceeded to have a great conversation with my mother staying 10 feet away from each other. The other day we saw a circle of 5 neighbors all strategically placed at least 6 feet apart, with one couple talking to them from the other side of the street.

We are living in very interesting and trying times.

There are many ways to connect socially. We now have to be more creative and thoughtful about those interactions and remember that everyone's social situation is different.

How do you connect?

Take care and be safe.

Tacos With Toilet Paper

Buca Di Beppo

"Every order comes with a free roll of toilet paper," said the email from Los Gringos Locos mexican restaurant.

"Meals sealed for safety," said the email from Buca di Beppo.

"...grab your favrorite sauce, some penne, and a bottle of wine to relax tonight!" said Charlie's Trio on their Instagram page.

Thank goodness for technology and social media.

Can you imagine if the coronavirus hit prior to the year 2000? Before social media and online marketing were thing? Before Uber, Postmates, and Doordash?

How would these restaurants advertise they were still open - especially the independents?  Flyers? Buying radio and tv air time? Or relying on people blindly phoning numbers in the good old Yellow Pages to see if they were open?

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I think that all three social media messages were effective. The first one focused on levity, the second on safety, and the third on tranquility. I've purchased from two of these establishments based on the messages and I'm sure I will purchase from the third before the week is out.

I've been very concerned about how restaurants would survive under the stay-at-home restrictions. I have always heard that restaurant margins are thin. How are they paying rent with no dine-in customers? I read on Eater that restaurants are hoping for government assistance to help with rent and other costs*,  but  I imagine there will be fewer restaurants, especially independents, once the coronavirus blows over. And if the government institutes a full lockdown like in China and Italy? What then?

Unless that doomsday scenario happens, I am impressed by how effective restaurants are in using technology to advertise to their customers and to continue to remain open.

losgringoslocos.com

As we all scout for food for our tables, don't forget take out and delivery, not just to vary your diet and

avoid doing dishes, but to support your local restaurants so they are around once the stay-at-home orders are lifted.

Besides, who doesn't need a free roll of toilet paper nowadays.

Take care and be safe.

Posting schedule: Monday, Thursday, Saturday

  

*https://www.eater.com/2020/3/19/21185918/how-can-goverment-assistance-help-restaurants-actually-need-in-the-form-of-relief

Coronavirus Invades Los Angeles

"Production is shut down due to Corona Virus!" said the assistant director. "Everyone head back to base camp to sign out and then go home."

That was my last day of work as a background actor before Hollywood shutdown on March 13.

March 12 was the last time I saw my mom; the last time I ate out.

March 13 my son's school notified me they would be closed for 3 weeks.

March 14 my gym closed.

March 15 my jobs on the 16, 17, and 18 were cancelled.

My 401k collapsed.

That was the bad news.

The good:

• not having to fight with my son over homework
• taking walks with my wife daily through our empty neighborhood streets
• having something to discuss with my teenagers that they are actually interested in
• I finally have enough emergency supplies for the next big earthquake
• amazing signs of community
• learning to adapt to a new reality

I will post every two days what interesting (and hopefully uplifting) things I have heard or seen regarding the new reality of Covid-19, and how it affects me, my family, and my fellow background actors, and how I and/or we have adapted.

I hope that you find it interesting and look forward to your comments and questions.

Take care everyone.